Apparatus for aligning wheels



Nov. 12, 1935. M. MILLER 2,020,613

APEARATUS- FOR ALIGNING WHEELS 2 Sheets-She et 1 Filed June 5, 1931 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' gmmtoc;

. Jimmy/M221 v M. MILLER APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING WHEELS 'Filed June 5, 1951 Nov. 12,1935.

' Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNrrEo STATES PATENT My invention is an improvement in apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles, and is designed to provide a portable apparatus or device of this general character which will operate automatically. when the wheels are driven on to the same to indicate whether or not they are out of alignment, and which will also serve to facilitate the operation of adjusting the wheels it required.

With these ends in view my invention consists of a pair of wheel supporting blocks rotatable on a suitable base with means by which to accommodate the track or tread or" the wheels and gauges to indicate their alignment, for which purpose thesaid blocks are mounted on carriages for lateral movement. on the base and rotatable on the carriages for free turning movement,

thereby providug a device or apparatus for quickly and conveniently ascertaining whether or not the wheels are out of alizguimeut, and the extent to which any required adjustments should be made. p

My invention further consists in the particular construction of the supporting blocks and manner of supporting the same on the base, in co-,

operation with the construction and arrangement of gauge devices. all as hereinafter fully described and ore specifically set forth in the appended claims. a

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a front elevation illustrating the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, enlarged, parts being in section.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the supporting base, with parts of the superstructure removed.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view or one of the rotatable blocks.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view that.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view through the center of the block, and

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line S-B of Fig. 5.

, ably mounted on carriages M, the latter being movable on the base longitudinally with respect thereto and laterally with respect to the wheels seated in the blocks for the accommodation of these movable parts with respect to the trac'lrage of said wheels. Each carriage is slidably mounted on rollers 15 supported on axles i6 joumaled in the side flanges of the base, and for connecting 5 the block l3 to the carriage It so that it may have the required rotatable movement thereon it is provided centrally with a depending pintle ll extending through a corresponding opening it in the floor of the carriage and through a slot 10 I9 in the platform or base, said pintle having a hole 20 extending transversely through the lower end thereof to receive a lrey 2|. As will be noted the block is rotatable on the carriage by reason of the bearing of the pintle in the open- I ing It and movement of the carriage on the base permitted by the slot therein through which the pintle passes. and in order that the bloclr may have a free rotatable movement on. the carriage so as to easily adjust itself to the position of the wheels supported thereon said carriage is pro- 5 vided on its upper side with ball bearings 22m a circular cage 23 to bear in a runway it at the under side of the block; though it may be desirable to reverse this arrangement by having the balls 25 carried by the block instead oi the carriage. Any shape of block to receive the wheels of the automobile may be employed but in'order to efiect a positive or firm engagement the form or block shown in the drawings-is well adapted, being constructed to provide ramps or inclined runways it at opposite ends leading to a depressed seat it at the center, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, with upstanding side pieces or guiding members it and 28 at opposite sides of the runways and seat, the side piece 21 being vertical and having an inwardly projecting portion or rib lit at its upper inner edge while the inner wall of the opposite side piece 28 is inclined outwardly from the seat, whereby said inclined wall will cause the tire cl 4 the wheel to be pressed or wedged against the rib to properly position the wheel with respectto the block, and for indicating the may oi the blocks and corresponding cent of the wheels or the automobile mounted thereon said blocks are each provided with a suitable gauge. in the present instance gauges being located at the opposite sides thereof.

In the normal position of the swivelled blocks they are at right angles to the medial line 01' the supporting base, as shown in Fig. 2, the blocks being temporarily held in this position by a pin 30 passed through a hole in a projection 3| at the outer side ofthe block and through hole 32 in the carriage.. and for indlcatva lation the block in either direction from the right'angular position said projection 3| at the side ot-the block is provided with 'ahpoint'er ll cooperating with aidia'l l5 at'the adjoining edge oi the carriage. As will be obvious when the wheels 01' an automobile are run on to the spaced apart swivelled blocks so asto be wedged between the parallel side walls, which are in direct line'with the length of the block at opposite sides or the seat, any variation in the alignment of either one or both of said wheels will be indicated. by the pointer 34 moving over the dial 35 having suitable graduation'marks,

and for holding the apparatusor device while the wheels are being run up the incline on to the seats of the blocks the outer end oi each incline is provided on its under side with sharp points or pins 38 which dig into the the blocks. j

For connecting the carriages. so that the swivelled blocks carried thereby may accommodate floor and steady themselves to the tread or trackage of the auto-- mobile wheels narrow plates 31, 31 are atsaid, base. These connecting plates in addition to tilt cooperating with the toggle links in equalizing the blocks also provide a means for supporting one of the elements of an auxiliary gauge for each block consisting of a gauge-plate ll attached to the outer end portion of the connecting plate and bent over the adjoining toggle links, said gauge-plate cooperating with a pointer 42 in the form 01' a tubular rod fitted within a recess therefor at the inner side or the block, whereby the gauge-plate and pointer oi each block; will be, in fixed relation thereto irrespective of the movement of the blocks to or from each other in accommodating the tread or trackage of the automobile wheels, and 01' course the logic link connection between the plates will serve to position the blocks at equal distances from the center of the supporting base.

In the operation of the devicethe automobile wheels to be tested are run on to the blocks which latter will move on the carriages or be separated automatically according to the tread oi' the wheels, and when the pins 30 are removed said blocks will assume the alignment corresponding with that of the wheels as the vertical wall impinges against one side oi the tire oi the wheel for this purpose, the extent to which either one 0! the wheels is out of alignment be ing indicated by the gauges at the inner and outer sides of said blocks. A wheel which is'out of alignment can be trued while resting on the block supportmgthe same and or cause the gauges will indicate when the proper adjust ment has been made to bring said Wheel into alignment. It will thus be seen that the opera .itates the operation of truing or aligning the wheels as the adjustments being made are indicated by the gauges during the operation 0! aligning.

The device in accordance-with my invention swam provides a simple and eilective means iorv aligning the wheels of automobiles and by the particular construction and arrangement 01' the parts the device may be disassembled for handling in moving the same from place to place, the blocks 5 being detachable from the carriages and base by removing the keys 2i at-the lower ends of the spindles and the carriages with their connec- ,tions can be removed ii necessary by detaching the pin 38 and metal fixtures which hold and I0 guide the plates on the platform oi the supporting base. The several parts thus disconnected I can be easily handled in moving the device from one place to another, and for storage or transportation the blocks only needbe removed so as to be stored separately or placed lengthwise onIthe base for more compact arrangement.

claim:-

1. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising a supporting base. a pair 20 or elongated wheel supporting blocks swivelled thereon, walls on the upper side 01' each block at opposite sides thereof, one of said walls being outwardly inclined and the other vertical, and

between which the wheel is wedged in alignment with the block so that the latter will assume the alignment oi the wheel bearing against. the vertical wall of said block, a depressed seat at the center 01' the block between said walls, and ramps formed integrally with the block at opposite ends thereof, said ramps leading to the seat: together with means for indicating the turning movement of the blocks. Y

2. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of.

pair of elongated wheel supporting blocks swivelled thereon, walls on the upper side of each block at opposite sides thereof between which the wheel is wedged, one 01' said walls being outwardly inclined and the other vertical with a longitudinal rib at its upper inner edge, ramps leading to the space between said walls, and spurs at the corners of the block; together withmeans ,Ior indicating the turningmovement or the 5 blocks. i

3. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising a supporting base. carrlages slidable on said base and each having a hole therein to receive a coupling pin, a block swivelled on each carriage for turning movement w and each having an apertured projection at one side thereof, and a pin for temporarily connecting each block to its carriage; together with means for indicating the turning movementof the carriages for equalizing their sliding movement with respect to the center of the support-v lng base, a block swivelled on each carriage and having a seat to rewive a wheel or the motor vehicle, and means for indicating the movement of the blocks.

5. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising an elongated supporting bees, carriages slidable on said supporting haseflet opposite ends thereof, means connecting the carriages for equalizing their sliding movement with respect to the center 0! the supporting base, a block swivelled on each carriage and having a seat- !or a wheel of the motor vehicle with ramps leading to said seat. a dial oneachcoru motor vehicles comprising a supporting base, a

turning riage, and pointers on the blocks cooperating with said dials for indicating the turning movement oi said blocks. 1

6. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising an elongated supporting base, carriages slidable on said supporting base at opposite ends thereof, toggle levers pivoted on the base intermediate the carriages,

pivoted on the base intermediate the carriages, and plates connecting the carriages to said toggle v levers tor equalizing the movement of the carriages; together with an elongated block swivelled on .each carriage and having a central depressed seat with ramps extending from opposite ends or the block to said seat, and means responsive to the turning movement of the blocks for indicating the alignment of the wheels supported thereby.

8. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising an elongated supporting base, carriages slidable on said supporting base at opposite ends thereoi, toggle levers pivoted on the base intermediate the carriages, plates connecting the carriages to said toggle levers for equalizing the movement or the carriages, and a gauge plate or dial attached to each connecting plate; together with a swivelled block on each carriage, and a pointer extending from the block to cooperate with its companion gauge plate or dial.

9. An apparatusior aligning the-wheels oi motor vehicles comprising a supporting hase,-an elongated wheel supporting block turnable on said base, upstanding walls at opposite sides of said block, one of said walls being inclined out- 10 wardly and the other wall being straight vertically i'or clamping the wheel tire between said walls and against the vertical wall so as to be parallel therewith for positioning the wheel in alignment with the turnable block, an end of each wall being flared outwardly to iormguide walls leading to the space in which the wheel tire is clamped; together with means for indicating the turning movement ol'the block.

10. An apparatus for aligning the wheels of motor vehicles comprising a supporting base, an elongated wheel supporting block turnable on said base, upstanding walls at opposite sides or said block, one or said walls being inclined outwardly and the other wall being straight vertically with a longitudinal rib at the upper end of the inner side thereof, for clamping the wheel tire between said walls, an end or each wall being flared outwardly to form guide walls leadin to the space in which the wheel tire is clamped; together with means for indicating the turning movement of the block.

- MICHAEL MILLER. 

